John S
"John was highly professional throughout and kept us well informed about our daughter’s progress."
Maths GCSE
A Level
GCSE
IB
IBMYP
IGCSE
MAT
Maths
STEP
TMUA
Academic History
PhD in Mathematics, UCL starting October 2025
MSci Mathematics, UCL
A Levels: Mathematics, (A*), Further Mathematics (A*), Physics (A)
GCSEs: Mathematics (9), Biology (A), Chemistry (A), Physics (A)
About Me
I believe in a ‘mastery learning’ based approach to pedagogy, which is a form of teaching that requires students to master a topic before moving on to the next, and is based on over a decade of academic research. This form of tutoring is widely regarded as optimal for improving student outcomes and confidence, as it systematically ensures that there are no gaps in knowledge. For example, attempting to teach a student the Sine Rule, without ensuring a good knowledge of right-angled triangles, will worsen their understanding of both topics, and result in lower confidence. One to one tutoring is the ideal setting in which to implement this style of teaching, as it relies on the tutor having a strong relationship with the student so that they have a comprehensive understanding of their weak points.
I will agree with the student (and their parents) a learning plan with clear goals, after beginning with a comprehensive assessment of their current knowledge and abilities. We will then embark on a structured program to improve grades, with an emphasis on both conceptual understanding and exam technique. Lessons will include active recall and practice, spaced repetition of topics, and a focus on weak points from previous lessons. Through constantly challenging students with ever-so-slightly harder questions and material, all the while ensuring good foundations, together we can build true mastery of the material.
My lessons can include specific exam preparation, teaching content for the first time (e.g. for early summer preparation), and enrichment material for more motivated students.
Recent tuition
GCSE Maths (AQA)
I tutored this student in GCSE Maths for over a year prior to their exam. This student suffered from a lack of confidence and was achieving a grade 7 despite their manifestly high ability. We spent most of our time practicing harder (grades 8-9) exam style questions, as well as some specific gaps (in particular geometry) which significantly improved their confidence. They achieved a grade 9 in the final exam.
IGCSE Maths, Chemistry, and Physics (Edexcel)
I started tutoring this student (St John’s School) just before the most recent exam season. His parents were worried that despite his high ability he wasn’t going to achieve his potential. I have been providing highly targeted exam focused support and have made immense progress, and he is now comfortable answering specific types of grade 9 questions that we have practiced. I’ve additionally provided some last minute Chemistry and Physics support, and have made progress in some specific weak points. I am confident that he will achieve at least a grade 8 GCSE Maths.
A Level Maths (AQA)
I tutored this student in A Level Maths for 18 months. This was a student who performed very well at GCSE but struggled to make the jump to A Level, and was doing relatively poorly in in-class tests. I took him through a meticulously designed program, designed to begin with material that was just beyond GCSE, and over time significantly improved his ability and confidence. He achieved an A in the final exam and is currently studying Economics at Warwick.
A Level Maths and Further Maths (Edexcel)
I tutored a high performing student who was expecting high grades in their final exam, but wanted some extra exam support. We spent a lot of time practising the harder integration questions in Further Maths, as well as some of the other more difficult questions styles that come up at the end of the paper. He achieved a A* A* in Maths and Further Maths, and is currently studying physics at UCL.
STEP
This student was very high achieving and was in possession of an offer to study Mathematics at Cambridge. Since they were struggling with STEP, I helped them master the particular exam technique required by going over past paper questions, organised by theme, systematically. This way they were prepared for anything they saw in the exam, and achieved a 1, meeting their offer.
Hobbies
I am a keen piano player, and enjoy running, hiking, and playing football. I also am an avid reader of books about history and politics.
Testimonials
“John tutored our daughter in preparation for her Maths GCSE exam for over a year. He delivered well-structured lessons based on a tailored programme and goals we had agreed on beforehand. John was highly professional throughout and kept us well informed about our daughter’s progress. As a result, our daughter gained confidence in her abilities, and her grade improved from a 7 to a 9. I highly recommend John as a tutor.”
Maths GCSE
